What is drag fishing

The drag or retropesca fishing It is an active fishing, that is, it does not expect the movement of the fish for capture and is based, fundamentally, on the use of a heavy network that sweep the background. This type of fishing emerged throughout the second part of the fourteenth century and its use has been growing exponentially until today. In addition, it is increasingly used to a greater depth in the waters of seas and oceans of different corners of the planet.

Drag fishing is less selective fish that exist, since capture everything that is finding during the drag process. It is a type of fishing that uses industrial methods, destroying seabed during its fish capture process.

Regarding its main tool, there are two types of drag networks:

• Background drag networks: They capture exclusively different species of fish that inhabit the seabed, such as shrimp, crayfish, flat fish, cod, hake, etc.
• Pelagic drag networks: They are used to capture those species that on the contrary inhabit the surface or between two waters. This is the case of sardines, jurams, róbalos, among others.

Drag fishing destroys sedimentary ecosystems that constitute deep seabed, removing and lifting the different particles that constitute the sediment and leaving numerous small organisms in suspension. These are the main inhabitants of marine sediments, which constitute the trophic chain base In these ecosystems at great depths.

In addition, the content decreases in organic carbon and Reduce biodiversitybecoming one of the main causes of the degradation of the bottom of the sea. In this way, the seabed will remain as a poor and compacted superficial sediment, making a new colonization of species in this ecosystem more difficult. In this other ecology article, you can learn more about the loss of biodiversity: causes and consequences.

This issue is also related to the environmental problem of the abuse of the resources that nature gives us and, therefore, we advise you to also read this other post about the overexploitation of natural resources: causes and consequences.

The drag or drag ships They use drag networks and engines with an adequate power to the drag speed, using background and pelagic drag networks.

Among the types of drag vessels we can find:

• Side drag: The drag networks are located on the side of the boat. They also have two fishing fishers (on -board cranes that turn out of the sides. The ship’s helmet is reinforced at the height of fishing students against the rubbing of the drag doors.
• Popa drag: Network towing cables ranging from the cover to the stern.
• Freezing drags: They are high seas ships. They have fridge facilities and freezing equipment, as well as refrigeratory wineries. Sometimes they have even mechanical equipment to make eviscerated and fish fillet, as well as for the elaboration of oils, flour and preserves.
• Tangons drags: They use one or two heavy networks extended from the sides, towing them using booties (stick -shaped iron structure that is removed out of the vessel by its side, for different uses). It is the typical drag of shrimp fishing and flat fish in the North Sea.

As we have mentioned earlier, drag fishing is very harmful for seabed. For this reason its use and greater regulation is required.

In many countries, drag fishing is regulated, although in very few it becomes prohibited. Its prohibition would mean a breakthrough for the economy of the fishing sector, favoring the maintenance of marine biodiversity, as well as the balance and regeneration of marine resources.

There is still enough path ahead until you have a type of drag fishing that includes among its goals Sustainability and respect for the marine environmentfor which different agreements will be necessary internationally and nationally.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is drag fishingwe recommend that you enter our category of other environment.